Long Lost and then Found
by LuluAB
Summary: What if only Soren had gone branching that day? What if only Soren had been taken by the Pure Ones? At first, Kludd was overjoyed when his brother returned, but not all happiness can last forever, and not all evil can be prevented.
1. Chapter 1

**What if only Soren had gone branching that day? What if only Soren had been taken by the Pure Ones? When Soren returns one day, Kludd is overjoyed to have his brother back but it doesn't take long for him to change his mind.**

It had been almost a year and a half since Soren had gone missing. Kludd was perched on a branch of the tree that was his home. The night was bright, much like the night that Soren had decided to go branching on his own and had never come back. Kludd's parents had searched the Tito woods endlessly, and when Kludd had finally been able to fly, he had joined them too. They had searched for months before finally giving up believing that Soren was dead.

Kludd had been lonely ever since. There weren't many owls his age nearby, so his only company had been his parents who talked about nothing than survival and Soren and Eglantine who wasn't yet able to fly. So, most of the time Kludd had been on his own, longing for another moment with his lost brother.

Tonight was different though. Kludd watched as a few birds raced towards him on the wind. They were black as night. Crows. The black birds slowed as they came to where Kludd was perched.

"Aargh. Kludd, son of Noctus and Marella. We are here to warn you. Pure ones are coming your way!" the bird squawked in a frenzy of fear and excitement.

"What do you mean the pure ones?" Kludd said, "they are only a legend."

"No, they are very real indeed. They say you and your family will be an excellent bargaining chip. They said the Flame Thrower would be in trouble!" and with that, the crows were off crying their song into the night.

Kludd, although he was confused, leaped off the branch and descended down into the hollow of the tree. His parents were there, as was Eglantine and Mrs. P. They turned as he landed at the entrance. They had heard him before they had seen him. It made his insides bubble with annoyance and anger, and he dreaded how loud he was when flying.

Noctus looked at his son expectantly. "What is it Kludd?"

"We have to get out of here. The pure ones are coming, they said we would be bargaining chips against someone called the Flame Thrower. We have to leave!" Kludd replied exasperatedly.

"Do you now? But we were looking forward to meeting you." A voice sounded behind Kludd and the Tito whipped round to find a large great grey owl. His feathers were stained red and he had a malicious glint in his eye. Kludd jumped back spreading his wings slightly to protect his family. Noctus did the same and the two males stood there preparing for a fight. Kludd noticed three other pure ones behind him, although they had black masks on that only revealed glowing red eyes.

"Who are you and what do you want!" Noctus said.

The great grey looked him up and down and smiled. "oh, I am the general of Queen Nyra, leader of the pure ones. I have come to take you and your family to join us. We have a problem that only you can solve."

"Does this have to do the Flame Thrower, whoever he is?" Kludd asked desperately.

"Oh yes it does, I am surprised you haven't heard of him. After all, he was the one who destroyed our precious store of flecks and allowed the Guardians to massacre half our army, and killed our leader Metal Beak!" the grey became impatient and Kludd feared that he would do something irrational. "but no matter, we can update you on the way. Now come willingly or you will be forced…."

Suddenly a pair of golden talons gripped the great greys shoulders and the pure one was dragged out of the hallow. Kludd saw the glint of the rising sun reflect of metal and it took him a while before he realized who had saved them. The guardians battled fiercely. There were four of them. There was another great grey who wore a helmet, along with two smaller owls who were much more than their size, but Kludd's eyes were locked on the owl who was now facing the pure one general. That guardian was quick and nimble but also powerful and strong. Kludd lost sight of the owl as a pure one soldier flew into the hollow.

Kludd faced him with courage, but the Tito was no match for the trained soldier before him. Kludd was knocked to the ground and sharpened talons gripped his wings. Kludd couldn't help shrieking in pain. This was worse than falling out of tree's or crashing into branches. This was a real pain. However, it didn't last long, the weight soon disappeared from on top of him, and Kludd looked up as the Tito who had fought against the general dropped the soldier's dead body. At the same moment, the other guardians landed at the entrance, peering in at the scared family of owls, sunlight glinted off their helmets, half blinding Kludd.

"Kludd, are you alright?" a voice said. A voice that he hadn't heard in a very long time. Kludd scramble to his feet in time to see the other barn owl remove his helmet. Suddenly, Kludd was staring into eyes he thought he would never see again.

"Soren?" Kludd whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

A light brown blur collided with Soren's chest. Eglantine embraced his big brother and held him lovingly. "You're alive! You're really alive!" she murmured happily. Soren hugged back and cherished the memories that were flooding back to him. Eglantine lowered her wings and stepped back, letting Soren look her over. "You're so big! You've already gotten you flying feathers!" Soren said, very pleased.

"I'm big?! I look like an elf owl compared to you! Your bigger than Da!" Eglantine stated. It was true. Soren had grown a lot since he had left, he was certainly bigger than Kludd. Which was surprising as he had expected his older brother to be towering over him by now.

Soren was disrupted from his thoughts as his parents stepped forward, tears in their eyes as they looked at their long lost son.

His parents hugged him. His mother started crying, "my son has returned to me!" she sobbed. "And as a guardian at that!" Soren's da added. They stepped back to look at their son. But Soren had turned his gaze to his brother.

Kludd was off to the side of the hallow, looking at Soren with disbelief and surprisingly, anger. Suddenly Kludd raged forward.

Kludd pushed his brother out of his home, driving all the power he had into the movement. Thankfully, it sent Soren stumbling out and onto the platform outside the hallow. Despite his size, Soren was up almost instantly, but he charged again. However, this time, so did Soren. At the last moment, Kludd's brother veered to the side, letting the tito skid off the edge. He opened his wings before he fell too far, but something heavy appeared above him. He looked up to see Soren's creamy brown wings weighing his down. Soren and Kludd plummeted to the ground. Soren only let go when it was too late to fly up again, so Kludd landed and turned to his brother. His anger boiling over the top. But Soren wasn't angry, he just stood there as if he was ashamed of himself.

"Kludd. I'm sorry." This took Kludd by surprise, and a bit of his anger died away, but not all of it. "I'm sorry I left, I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. But a lot has been going on this past year and a half. I mean when I was captured by the pure ones, and then finding the Ga'Hoole Tree, and then the battle against the pure ones. And I became a guardian. But please. You have to know that I never stopped loving you and Eglantine and Da and Ma. And Mrs P. I wanted to come back, to bring you all back with me. I'm. I'm just really sorry!" Soren came forward and hugged his brother tight, and Kludd did nothing. He just let those creamy brown wings shield him from the outside world, and he was grateful to have his brother with him again.

The two didn't notice the group of owls that had descended from the hallow until one of the small guardian owls piped up, "Naw. How touching. But Soren, we have to go if we want to get back in time."

Soren withdrew from the embrace. There was a new sense happiness in his eyes, and he turned to his comrade. "Yes. Thank you Digger. We should go." Soren replied, much to the disappointment of his family. "But, one of the reasons that we came, was to ask you, to come to the tree of Ga'hoole, with us."

Kludd was shocked. So was the rest of his family. His Da and Ma were thinking, but Eglantine was jumping around excitedly.

"YES!" she said immediately.

"NO!" said the rest of the family.

"Wait." Kludd said, "that came out wrong. But Soren, we cant just pick up and leave everything behind."

"Yes. We know, but the pure ones are coming to tito forest. That means we have to get as many owls as we can to safety. Including you." The smallest guardian said.

"Ok. Ok. But who are you guys? Why did Soren bring you with him?" Kludd asked

"Oh, well we are the ones who were by Soren's side every step of our journey together." Digger said.

"Yes. He'd probably be dead without us." The great grey boasted.

"Not helping Twilight." Soren turned to his family. "But he's right. they're all right. I probably wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Gylfie, Digger, and Twilight. But the Pure Ones are coming, and if you want to survive, then come with us."

Kludd looked at his family, mainly his parents, but he noticed Eglantine edge closer to Soren as if she would follow her brother across the entire world. His parents seemed to be thinking. They looked at their children, and then at each other, seemingly sharing words through their gazes.

Finally, Noctus turned to Soren and the Guardians. "Ok, we'll come with you, but Eglantine still can't fly properly."

"I can fly well enough, Da. And Soren can help me. He's probably one of the best flyers in the Tree of Ga'Hoole!" Eglantine replied shortly. Her statement made Kludd flinch slightly. _Soren couldn't be that good._

Suddenly the owls around him started to take off, rising to the hallow. Soren had remained beside him. "We're going to stay and rest. We'll get going at dusk" he said.

"Huh. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Not with everyone in the hallow." Kludd said.

"Well, would you like to go hunting? One might say it was family bonding."

"Uh. Um, ok. Sure."

And with that, the two brothers flew off into the light.

Kludd and Soren had been hunting for much of the day and had finally stopped for rest. They had chosen a dead tree on the edge of a cliff and were staring into the sunset whilst eating their meal. Kludd was thankful for the rest. Flying for long distances hadn't been a speciality of his, but Soren seemed to find it easy. _Maybe he is as good a flyer as Eglantine thinks he is._ He had certainly caught a much greater deal of prey. But there was one thing that Kludd had been dying to ask ever since that black crow had flown away that night.

"Who is the Flame Thrower?" Kludd blurted.

Soren seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but he flattened his feathers and took a breath, preparing to answer.

"Uh. The Flame Thrower. I still haven't figured out who started that." Soren replied nervously.

"What do you mean. What aren't you telling me?" Kludd pried on, "Soren?"

Soren sighed and turned slightly to look at his brother, then took a deep breath. "I'm the Flame Thrower."

"What!?" Kludd was so confused, "What did you do after you were taken from here?"

And with that, Soren launched into a detailed story of how he had been taken that night he went branching. How he and Gylfie had befriended each other and how they had escaped from St Aggies. How they had met Digger and Twilight in their hallow underneath a grand oak. How they had travelled to the sea of Hoolemere and met the echidna that guarded it. How they had flown through a blizzard to find the tree. Ending on the battle at St Aggies and how he had sent a pot of flaming oil at the store of flecks and killed Metal Beak. He said someone had started the name Flame Thrower after the way Soren had destroyed the machine that had trapped the guardians.

Kludd listened intently as his brother shared his adventures of the past year and a half with him. In the end, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "So you actually killed him?" he asked.

"Yeah. With a flaming stick. And when we returned to the Tree, the band and I were appointed guardians." Soren added. "But, there is something else, Kludd. Something that I want you to know before anyone else. Heck, I haven't even told Gylfie."

"What is it?" Kludd asked desperately.

"Before we left to come here, Boron, the king of the tree, talked to me. He said that Ezylryb was retiring and that there was an open spot on the council for another general. He asked. Actually, he said that when I returned, I would step up as one of his generals. He said that they have to be young when they step in, young and strong and that I possessed the qualities of any great general."

"Soren." Kludd interrupted, "that, that's amazing! But who is this Ezylryb guy?"

"Heh. Ezylryb is Lyze of Keel." Soren laughed good-humouredly.

"Oh." Kludd laughed with him. _Maybe I should have paid attention to Da's stories._

When the brothers returned to the hollow with their prey, Eglantine was waiting on one of the branches. Soren's heart skipped a beat when he set eyes on his sister. She looked at him excitedly as he landed next to her. Kludd, however, landed at the entrance to the hallow and went inside, leaving his siblings.

"Hey, Soren!" Eglantine said excitedly as she nudged closer to her brother.

"What are you doing out here, Eg?" Soren asked happily. His little sister had grown a lot since the last time he had seen her. She had inhabited the lovely features of their mother, but she had much lighter feathers. She was a creamy white with darker brown feathers at her tail.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep, and I realized you weren't inside either, so I came out to wait." She said,

"You're excited about the journey?" Soren asked

"Yes. I can't wait to see the tree and meet the guardians, and oh! Do you think I could become a guardian?"

"Well, I don't see why not. You'll need to train hard, but let's see what you've got. I heard Da has been teaching you branching?"

"Oh yes! He says I am as quiet as you were when you first started training!"

"Oh yeah. Prove it." Soren said laughing.

Eglantine prepared herself before she launched herself at another branch. Gliding silently to land without much sound at all. Soren was impressed. "Can you get back up?" he asked

Again, Eglantine launched herself into the air, beating her wings to land beside her brother again. Soren nodded, and Eg beamed proudly. Next, he looked around at the trees surrounding theirs. He saw a firm branch not too far away and pushed off to fly over and land. He turned and beckoned for Eg to follow. She looked at him wide-eyed and stepped nervously to the end of her branch.

"It's alright Eg. You won't fall. I'll catch you." Soren said. And again, his sister pushed nervously of the branch and flapped hard to stay in the air. She had almost made it when she suddenly dropped. Soren launched himself after her and got underneath her.

"Eg. It's alright. I'm here, just feel the wind in your feather, beat them. You can do it. I know you can." Soren encouraged her.

"Soren I don't know. I'm scared." Eglantine replied

"It's alright. I'll help you. Just fly. Fly like Lyze of Keel, across the battlefield. Fly like you are the best guardian in the tree!" Soren shouted. "You can do it!"

And with that Eglantine beat her wings. Harder and harder until Soren felt her weight lift more and more. He looked up to find Eglantine just above him in the air. Flying as she had never done before.

"I'm flying! I'm really flying!" She yelled happily, "Oh it is even better than I ever imagined!"

Together, the two flew above the tree's gliding happily on the wind. They didn't know how much time had passed until the sun began to set.

"We better get back to the hallow. We can surprise the others with your flying skills." Soren said

"Yes! They'll be so surprised!" Eglantine chanted

They veered off and made their way back to their tree. When they got there, they found everyone on the branches preparing to leave.

"Hey look!" Soren heard Gylfie yell to the others. Everyone turned to see Soren and Eglantine flying towards them. Their parents were overjoyed as they saw their daughter flying. Kludd was more surprised than anything, and the Guardians were just happy for everyone else.

Soren landed next to Gylfie, who nudged him happily and gave him his helmet. The other guardians were also wearing theirs, so he slipped his on and looked over to see Eglantine staring at it obsessively. "You look so cool!" she said.

Soren heard Kludd laugh to himself somewhere behind her, and he smiled. "Are we all ready?" he asked, and everyone nodded, including Mrs P, who was safely curled up inside the loot that Twilight always carried.

"Lead the way, Soren." Said Gylfie beside him.

And, with that, the group of owls launched into the sky, Soren in the lead, on their way to the Tree of Ga'Hoole.

It had been a night and a day since the group had left the hallow in Tito Forest. Kludd was flying next to his parent. Soren and Gylfie were in the lead, and Eglantine, Digger, Twilight and Mrs P were at the back. The two Guardians behind him were telling the story of how they had met Soren and Gylfie and their journey to the Tree of Ga'Hoole. Kludd was only half listening. He was more focused on his surroundings. It was beautiful here. The trees were different, so was the landscape. He looked back and could still see the faint outskirts of his old home, but he pushed those memories away and focused on the journey ahead.

He was going back to listening to Twilights story when he heard a screech somewhere off to the other side of his parents. He flew up a bit to see another group of owls flying their way. A massive white owl flew to Soren's side. She also wore a helmet. Along with the other guardian owls who flew to the group.

They were accompanied by six other owls. A few elf owls, two barn owls, and two tawny frogmouths. They tentatively mingled with Kludd and his family. Eglantine, however, was distracted from Twilight and Digger and flew excitedly up to one of the barn owls. He was about her age but seemed quite confident in the air. He looked quite friendly but got very edgy when Eglantine was suddenly by his side. The other barn owl just looked at the happy female and groaned quietly.

"Hi!" Eglantine said to the younger barn owl. "My name is Eglantine. What's yours?"

The other owl looked at her suspiciously at first. But when he realised the creamy owl didn't pose any threat, his gaze turned kind again.

"Griff." He said. "This is my mother Isani. The elf owls are Lana, Steno and Jaguar. The greys are Nanlia and Moto."

"Well, nice to meet you all." She said loudly to no one in particular. "My names Eglantine. But you already knew that. That's Twilight and Digger at the back. Those are my parents Noctus and Marella, and my brother Kludd. And that's Gylfie next to my other brother Soren."

Griff looked at Eglantine in surprise before turning his head to look at Soren. "Wait. You mean Soren as in the Flame Thrower?"

This time Eglantine was surprised, but also confused. She looked at her brother. So did most of the owls in the group. Finally, Kludd's mother spoke up. "Soren. Is he speaking the truth?"

"Yes, Ma. He is. I got the name after a battle against the pure ones." Soren said awkwardly

"It was a great battle at that!" Twilight boasted, "We had realised there was a traitor amongst the guardians that were going to battle. So we followed them. When we got there, the guardians had been trapped by the pure ones and a wave of malicious bats was raining down upon them. So, being the leader that he was, Soren told us to fend off as many bats as we could. Little did we know, that he had planned to throw a flaming pot of coal at the trap them. Hence gaining the name Flame Thrower."

Twilight finished his story on a note of triumph. All the owls seemed to be listening, and those who didn't wear helmets looked at Soren with a sense of admiration. Eglantine especially. She looked at Soren in a way that she had never, and probably would never, look at Kludd. Annoyingly, it made Kludd jealous. So, instead, he went back to surveying his surroundings. Letting his mind drift, and his thoughts fly free.

Soren was looking back at the group of owls behind him. He had noticed that Griff had kept eyeing him throughout Twilights story, and wasn't sure whether it was simple admiration or not.

"Soren." Queen Barran's voice brought him back from his thoughts, and the Tito looked over at the large snowy beside him.

"I see you have successfully been reunited with your family. I am proud to see that your siblings have such a resemblance. Not only in features, but in characteristics as well. Especially your young sister."

"Yes. Eglantine and I were very close before I got taken. I hope we still share the same bond. You know, she wishes to train as a guardian. It has been a dream of hers ever since our father first told us the stories." Soren said.

"Well, she holds much potential. And if she is anything like you, then she will become a fine warrior." Barran said. "What about your brother?"

"Well, Kludd is strong. He has always been sensible and loyal. With some training, he will do well." Soren replied.

"Hmm. We might have to work on his flying abilities. His stroke is strong, but silence is always the key." Barran observed, "But no matter. When we arrive at the tree, I will talk to my husband, and we shall decide on the proper training methods for both your siblings."

Barran paused, thinking to herself, before finally looking back at Soren. "I must congratulate you, Soren. My husband and I will be proud to have such a strong and willing young owl on the council. I presume you have been told?"

"Yes. But I have not told anyone except for Kludd." Soren said "I guess I am still getting used to it as well. I'm not saying that I am not grateful. I am. But,"

"It's a big change. I know. When I became queen of the tree, I wasn't sure how to handle it. But I found comfort in the ones I was close to." Barran said understandingly, "I suggest you tell them before they find out on their own. Trust me, Soren. It will be easier that way."

Barran left Soren, and glided over to another guardian, leaving Soren to think to himself. After a while, Soren realised that Gylfie was still flying next to him. He looked over and saw that she had a bewildered expression on her face.

"I guess you heard that." Soren asked.

"I did. And I am so happy for you Soren. But I agree with Queen Barran. You need to tell them. Before they find out some other way." Gylfie said.

"Alright. I'll tell them. But not now while we're flying. I'll let them rest and tell them then."

When the sun started to rise, Barran decided to land and let the group rest. She chose a rocky ridge with a few tree's struggling for survival. Once everyone had landed, she sent a few of the guardians, including Soren and Gylfie, to hunt for the rest of them.

Soren found a few mice, a vole, and a small rabbit. And Gylfie clung to a handful of lizards she had found in a rocky hollow. He was proud of their hunt, and decided to make his way back to the group. Gylfie joined him, and they were greeted happily by the owls who had stayed behind. He left the rabbit with his family, and took the mice to Griff and his mother.

He kept the vole for himself, and settled next to Eglantine to eat it. They sat and ate silently until Soren decided to make the big announcement.

"Hey. Da, Ma, Eg. I have to tell you something. Twilight, Digger can you come here as well" Soren said as he waited for his friends and family to gather around. Kludd looked at him, wondering why he hadn't been included, but when he saw Soren's face, understanding washed over him.

"I love you all," Soren began, "and I wanted to tell you this before you found out via someone else."

The other owls looked at him curiously, and Soren took a breather, "King Boron and Queen Barran, have asked me to join the great council as a general of the tree. They want me to take Ezylryb's- Lyze of Keel's- place once he has retired."

The owls around him looked at him in shock. Eglantine finally broke the silence.

"Soren! That is amazing!" she rushed forward and embraced him with her wings. Everyone followed closely, and suddenly Soren found it hard to breathe through the amount of owls around him. They came away, and Soren found a huge weight lift off his shoulders.

Everyone slept happily that day, and when they awoke, they made their way towards the sea of Hoolemere, and the Tree of Ga'Hoole that was beyond.


	3. Chapter 3

It took half the night to reach the sea of hoolemere, and the other half to reach the tree. Thankfully, the snowstorm that patrolled the barriers of the tree weren't as ferocious as usual. But Kludd didn't know that, he thought this blizzard was trying to kill him.

When the group finally set eyes on the tree, the sun was rising, and Kludd sighed thankfully. He felt that his endurance skills had gotten better throughout the journey, but the feeling was diminished when he set eyes on Soren, who, like always, didn't even seem tired at all. Actually, he seemed sort of excited as they neared the tree.

As they flew underneath the arks of roots and structures, owls on a raised cliff, sounded a gong, and it rung out across the water to the tree as the group landed. Gylfie, Twilight and Digger flew off to a raised platform barely seen inside the canopy of leaves.

"Where are they going Soren?" Kludd called to his brother.

"They'll be going to report to Ezylryb. I'm staying with you because I want to make sure your introduced properly." Soren replied.

A vast crowd of owls rushed up to the landing platform. There were species that Kludd didn't even recognise. There were other guardians, along with another huge snowy owl that stepped up to Queen Barran. _That must be King Boron._ Kludd realised that the moment the king was amongst them, the crowd hushed, and everyone was silent.

"Welcome, new owls, to the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole. You are safe here. We have organised living quarters for all the owls. You will be taken there whenever you want. Otulissa will be in charge of that. Now go, eat and rest. Soren, when you are ready, please meet me at the top of the tree." Boron finished, but Kludd wasn't paying much attention. He had his eyes on the female short ear that had stepped up to the new comers.

She had dark, multi coloured feathers, and large amber eyes. Kludd had never seen a more beautiful owl in his life. Just looking at her made his insides flutter. Her eyes floated calmly over the owls in front of her, her eyes stopped on Kludd and they looked at each other for a breathtaking moment. However, Otulissa's eyes focused on something behind her, and she lit up with joy.

"Soren!" her voice was happy yet gentle, and Kludd would have fallen at her feet if he hadn't been knocked out of his thoughts by the name she had just called.

Something shoved past him, and it took Kludd a moment to realise it was Soren, rushing up to the female owl, and embracing her lovingly. They withdrew and Soren looked at Otulissa. "Hey beautiful. How are you?" he asked, sending a wave of disappointment over Kludd.

"I'm much better now that you're here." She looked into Soren's eyes and held if for what seemed like hours to Kludd. Finally, they stopped. And Soren turned to his family.

"Otulissa, meet my family." Soren said, gesturing with a wing to Kludd, Eglantine and their parents. "My parents Noctus and Marella, my brother Kludd, and my sister Eglantine."

Otulissa was very pleased to meet them, she stepped forward and exchanged welcomes with each of the owls, ending with Eglantine.

"I have heard so much about you Eglantine. Soren was always telling me about his fearless little sister." Otulissa smiled as she spoke. A smile that made Kludd's heart go double time. _Why does Soren have to get everything?!_ Kludd new, he almost admitted it out loud. He was jealous. Jealous of the way that Soren could disappear one day, making everyone think he was dead, then return as a guardian, as a legend, as a leader and have one of the most beautiful owls Kludd had ever seen, all to himself. It was infuriating. But, Kludd shouldn't be thinking this way. There were probably many, many other beautiful owls in this place, and who knows, maybe Kludd could even become a guardian. That'd show his parents how great he was.

Kludd was so lost in thoughts that he didn't realise Soren and Otulissa walk away from the group and have a hushed conversation. He was drawn from his own mind by Eglantine, "Isn't this amazing Kludd? We're actually at the Tree of Ga'Hoole!"

"Oh. Yeah, it's pretty nice here." Kludd looked around and saw Soren and Otulissa having a conversation at the edge of the clearing. "What do you think they're talking about?" he asked his sister.

"Oh. I guess Soren is telling Otulissa about his promotion to the council." Eglantine replied, "Why do you care, they're basically mates, they probably have a thousand conversations a day."

This sent Kludd mind into a flurry of images, some probably had happened, but others were just his imagination playing tricks. Images of Soren and Otulissa sitting close to each other, looking out at the sunrise, Soren and Otulissa flying around the tree in frenzy of love. Then there were images of Kludd and Otulissa. However, Kludd quickly pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. "Yeah, probably." Kludd replied.

But the Tito couldn't help standing up straighter when the short tipped owl came back over. He could just make out Soren's figure pushing off the platform and flying up through the branches of the tree. Kludd did realise, how many of the owls made way for the legendary tito alba. They almost seemed to bow as he flew past.

But Kludd's observations were quickly distracted as Otulissa stepped up to the new comers. "How about we get you to your sleeping areas. We have prepared some hollows on the outskirts of the tree. Soren tells me some of you prefer the quieter scene." She said mainly to Kludd and his family.

"Otulissa? Where will Griff and his mother be living?" Eglantine jumped forward. Kludd noticed she had been staying quite close to the young owl who looked at Eglantine and then turned his head to look at Otulissa expectantly.

"You have all been positioned quite close to each other. Every time we get a new bunch of owls, we set up a new area. So don't worry little one. You'll be able to stay with your friends." Otulissa replied expertly.

And with that, she turned and spread her beautiful dark wings and lifted off the platform. The group followed and they made their way through the branches and flurry of owls and towards the outer edge of the tree. Curiosity finally took over and he flew to glide next to Otulissa.

"Where does Soren live?" Kludd asked, "I'd like to visit him sometime." He added, not wanting the female owl to get suspicious.

"Oh. Soren and I live in the Guardian's Village. But now that he has been promoted, we will be moving to the Village of Leaders." Otulissa replied kindly, "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to have you visit him."

"Yes. I'm sure he will." Kludd murmured, "You two must be close?"

"Yes. I guess we hit it off the moment we met. He's a good owl, I wouldn't prefer anyone else." She said happily.

Kludd looked over at the beautiful owl. _Why does Soren get everything?_

By the time the group had arrived at their living area, the sun had risen well above the horizon. Kludd could tell that everyone was exhausted. He himself felt like his wings were going to fall off. Otulissa directed each family to their own hollows before leading Kludd and his family to a hollow right on the edge.

"When you have rested, feel free to explore the tree. There will be a meeting at moon high tomorrow. I'll see you all then." Otulissa said as she turned and flew off into the light.


	4. Chapter 4

Soren landed at the platform outside his hollow. It was positioned next to Gylfie's hollow in the Guardian's Village. He looked around at the space that he had lived in for the past months, and cherished the memories he had made here. _Oh well. I am sure we will make many more memories in our new hollow._

Soren imagined the hollows inside the Village of Leaders. He assumed that it would be bigger, but apart from that, he had no idea what to expect. He had just returned from talking to the King and Queen. They had discussed how he would have to change his lifestyle according to being a council member. Thankfully for Soren, these changes weren't big at all. They discussed how he would be in charge of training the new recruits in combat, as that was area Ezylryb specialized in. they also mention their decision to train Eglantine, Kludd and Griff as guardians, along with two of the elf owls that had come back with them. Soren was also pleased to hear that if he wished, his friends could help out as they all possessed great knowledge in their own areas. Apart from that, they had said that the handover ceremony would be at moon high the next day.

This had shocked Soren as he had not expected to be stepping up so soon. But he had simply nodded and thanked the King and Queen. They had left him to return to his hollow, and prepare for what was to come.

As Soren stepped inside, he found Otulissa waiting for him. She was curled in their nest, but when he came in, she lifted her head. "How was it?" she asked quietly.

"It was. Surprising." He answered as he curled into the nest with her. She pressed herself up against him and laughed to herself.

"I heard that there would be a ceremony tomorrow. I told your family to attend it, if you don't mind." She said

"No, I don't. And yes, there will be a ceremony. It'll be a handover ceremony, along with a naming ceremony." Soren murmured.

"Oh? Who is being named?" she asked curiously.

"Well, my sister and my brother, along with two of the elf owls and the young barn owl, are being named as guardian trainees."

"Wow. I didn't know Kludd wanted to be a guardian."

"I didn't either. But Boron and Barran had already decided. I guess they see something in him. But Kludd is a proud owl. I don't know how he'll react to learning with a bunch of, well, younger owls. Especially when his younger brother will be his mentor in combat and fighting skills"

"His younger, experienced and skilled brother." Otulissa added, "I'm sure he'll realise how lucky he is."

"Hmm. Try telling him that if he gets all annoyed about it." Soren looked into his mate's eyes. She looked back into his. The two held the gaze, "I love you. You know that right?" Soren broke the silence.

"Of course I do. I love you too." Otulissa said lovingly, "Now, how about we get some sleep. It'll be a big night tomorrow, and you need your rest."

The dark owl curled up against Soren, who draped a wing over her and dropped his head next to hers. He let sleep take over, and his mind drifted into dreams.

Soren woke to the commotion of owls outside. He lifted his head to find Gylfie and Digger land at the entrance to his hollow. They were giggling to each other as they looked inside. Otulissa lifted her head beside him, her eyes still drowsy with sleep.

"What time is it?" Soren asked.

"About an hour until moon high." Gylfie answers as she and Digger stepped inside.

"Yeah. If you don't want a growling belly during the ceremony, then I suggest you get something to eat." Digger added.

Soren's eyes widened slightly as he realised what was ahead of him. "Oh, yes. The ceremony."

He stood slowly and stepped out of the nest. Otulissa was quick to follow. Soren quickly preened his feathers before turning back to his friends. "Have you eaten?" he asked

"Oh I haven't. But Digger has probably eaten three times since he woke up." Gylfie joked and nudged the owl beside her.

Soren laughed. _Is there something going on there?_ He noticed how close the two had been since the battle at St Aggies, and it pleased him to see both his friends so happy. "Ok, well. Would you like to join us?" Soren asked, looking back at Otulissa, checking if she agreed.

"Yeah. I could eat." Digger said.

Everyone laughed, much to the confused expression on Digger's face.

Together they flew to the little prey centre near the middle of the tree. Once they were there, everyone grabbed something to eat. They were all seated at a table underneath a variety of overhanging lanterns when Soren's family came into view.

"Da, Ma! Over here!" Soren called, and his parent lead Kludd, Eglantine and surprisingly Griff, over to the table. As they landed, Soren rushed up and gave them a small hug. "How was your sleep. I know Otulissa made you welcome."

"Oh it was lovely Soren. And thank you Otulissa for showing us to our hollow." Marella said gratefully. The family returned to the table, Soren sat next to Otulissa, and Eglantine came and sat beside him. Griff was beside her, then Kludd then Soren's parents.

Digger, who had gone away looking for food, finally came back and laid a handful of prey in front of everyone. He managed to keep a mouse for himself, making Soren chuckle to himself. Together, the group ate, and once everyone was satisfied, Soren stood.

"I presume you have heard of the ceremony today?" he asked his family.

"Yes. I told them all to be there, including the elf owls." Otulissa remarked

"I am so excited. I'll get to see the council, and will Lyze of Keel be there?! Oh I can't wait!" Eglantine jumped up and down, much to the amusement of Griff, who looked as excited as the creamy barn owl beside him. He looked like he wanted to jump up and down with Eglantine too, but he cast a glance at Soren before settling and sitting straight. _How odd?_ Soren thought.

A gong rang through the night. There were three rapid rings, then two slow ones. Then a pause and then the pattern rung again. _Intruders._ Soren looked over at Gylfie and their friends, they too had heard the signal and were already on their feet, flying to the armoury.

"Soren, what's going on?" Kludd's voice said behind him.

"Intruders at the gates. All guardians are to defend the tree immediately." Soren said as he stepped up to the edge.

"I'm coming with you. I can fight as well!" Kludd called, making Soren whirl around.

"No. You have to stay here Kludd. I know you want to help, but if you get hurt, then it will be on me." He said to his brother.

"Then I won't get hurt. I'll be careful."

"No!" Soren pushed Kludd back before he could take off, "Stay here. Keep them safe. If, and only if, these intruders get inside, then you can fight." Kludd looked at his brother in shock. No one had ever used force against him, so he stayed still and watch his brother fly away.

Soren headed straight to the armoury, finding his helmet, and pulling on his golden battle talons. After he was all set, he flew out and towards the battle that was already raging over the gates.


	5. Chapter 5

Kludd watched his brother fly out of what he assumed was the armoury, wearing his helmet, and his battle claws. The Tito watched as he disappeared into battle, fearing the worst for his sibling. Kludd's family crowded on the edge. Otulissa had stayed behind, along with Griff who practically clung to Eglantines side.

It wasn't long before Kludd spotted Soren again. He was in the centre of the battle, facing a large white owl. They grappled with each other, striking life threatening blows. From what Kludd could see, Soren wasn't too badly damaged. However, Kludd wasn't sure about the other owl. She had red markings on her face and on her wings. Kludd thought it was blood, but soon realised that they were supposed to be there. He looked to see that most of the other intruding owls also had red stains throughout their feathers.

"Pure Ones." Otulissa whispered.

"Who's that Soren's fighting?" Marella asked.

"Nyra. Leader of the Pure One's. Ex-mate of Metal Beak. And one of the most ferocious fighters in the owl kingdoms."

There was a shocking silence as the family watched Soren and Nyra fight. They had flown up into the night sky, higher than most of the other owls. A crowd had gathered at the edges of the tree, watching the raging battle. Thankfully most of the Pure Ones seemed to be tiring, all except for their leader, who suddenly dropped out of the sky and flew directly towards the tree. Soren followed.

The crowds of owls flew away as the white owl got closer. She was almost at the tree when Soren barrelled into her from behind, throwing her down onto the platform not too far from Kludd and his family. They jumped out of the way as the two warriors faced each other.

"What are you doing here Nyra!?" Soren yelled as he looked right into Kludd eyes. _Don't engage. Whatever you do, don't engage._ His eyes seemed to say, and Kludd obeyed.

"Oh. I was only avenging the deaths of many, including my beloved, who _you_ killed! Now, I have come for my revenge!" Nyra screeched as she leapt forward slashing at Soren's face. He dodged and slashed at his opponents back. The white owl shrieked in pain and rounded on Soren, sending her talons down his face. This time Soren cried in pain as blood spattered onto the ground. Kludd inhaled sharply. Eglantine shouted out in fear, drawing the attention of the Pure One's leader.

"Oh? Does this young owlet care for the Flame Thrower? Too young to be his mate, but quite similar." Nyra stepped closer, "Maybe a sister?"

"Get away from her!" Griff jumped in front of Eglantine, and Nyra stopped.

"Ah, now this must be her 'friend'. You two must be close. Close enough if such a young tito would go up against me." Nyra drew up to her full height, and Kludd watched in despair as she knocked the young owl aside. She was about to grab Eglantine when golden talons drew her wings away, whilst digging into the flesh and bone.

"Stay away from my sister!" Soren yelled as he threw Nyra across the platform, sending her into a tree trunk. She groaned as she gasped for breath, and at the same moment, the King and Queen along with a shaggy old owl landed beside Soren. They surrounded her, and as she scrabbled to her feet, other guardians landed too; including Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger. Seeing she was out numbered, Nyra backed away, but in an effort to escape, she lunged into the sky. Fortunately, Soren and another guardian were quick to drag her back down and pin her to the ground.

"For the harm of owls all around the kingdom, along with many other acts of treason, you, Nyra of the Pure Ones, are under arrest by order of the King and Queen." The shaggy old owl sneered.

"Take her to our most fortified cell, and keep a rotation of guards watching her at all times." King Boron ordered.

And with that, Nyra was flown down the face of the tree and into a dark tunnel, struggling and screeching.

After she was out of sight, Eglantine rushed forward towards the group of guardians. "Soren!" she pushed her way to the centre, followed by Kludd and their parents.

Soren was talking to the King and Queen, but at the call of his name, he turned towards the struggling Eglantine. She came forward but stopped when she looked at Soren's face. At first, Kludd wasn't sure why she stopped, but when he looked at his brothers face, he stepped back in shock.

A wide gash ran down the side of Soren's face, inches from his right eye. If Nyra had scratched his eye, then Kludd would have been certain Soren would have lost vision on his right side. He thanked the gods above for Soren's luck. Eglantine however, thought it was the most horrific thing she had ever seen and lunged into Soren's chest and sobbed.

"Oh Soren! I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Soren looked down at his sister, both confused and comforted by her words.

"Eglantine, there is nothing to be sorry for. I am only grateful that you and everyone else is safe." Soren looked into Eglantine's eyes as if he was secretly telling her not to worry.

Kludd watched as Eglantine withdrew and returned to her mother's side. Marella also looked worried and relieved when she saw her son in front of her. She took one look before Queen Barran stepped in front of her and examined Soren's face.

"It'll heal, but it'll leave one hell of a scar." She said, "Your lucky Nyra didn't get your eye. Come by the infirmary as soon as possible so I can treat it. We don't want it getting infected." Soren nodded at the snowy owl in understanding.

"Well done Soren, your first real battle scar. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten one any sooner, with the amount of battles you've fought in." the old shaggy owl looked up at Soren proudly.

"Thank you Ezylryb." Soren replied.

Kludd was a bit surprised. This shaggy old owl was Ezylryb. The great Lyze of Keel. _I wasn't expecting that._ Kludd felt Soren's gaze on him, and looked up to see his brother smiling with amusement as he walked over.

"Don't worry Kludd. I wasn't expecting it either." Soren seemed to read his mind, and the two brothers laughed together.

The ceremony was postponed until the next day. The king and queen felt that the tree needed time to settle before anything major happened. So Soren, under the orders of the queen had gone to the infirmary to have his wound checked over.

There were other guardians there as well, all having their scratches and bruises checked over by a number of the trees greatest healer owls. The Queen was there, looking over the process, and when Soren arrived, she beckoned him over. As the barn owl walked past the other owls, he was relieved to find that there weren't any major injuries. In fact, his seemed to be the most severe. Soren wasn't sure whether to think that was a good or bad thing. Good being the other guardians had held their own and fought very well, or bad being he wasn't as good as he thought.

Barran seemed to read his mind as she inspected the wound again. "Don't worry Soren. You fought bravely, and as well as any other owl. Don't think that the lack of major injuries is a comparison to your fighting skills." The blood had dried, leaving a crusty mess on the side of Soren's face.

"The wound has stopped bleeding, which means it isn't infected yet, but I'll pop a remedy on there just in case." The snowy owl gave Soren a moist towel. "Wipe the blood of while I get some herbs."

Soren did as he was told, flinching slightly when the fabric touched his gash. When Barran returned, she smeared a poultice of Marigold, Thyme and Aloe Vera onto the side of his face. It stung slightly, but Soren was distracted when Griff landed at the entrance. When the snowy owl walked away, Soren made his way to the younger barn owl, who whipped his head to stare up at the warrior.

"Are you okay Griff? Why are you here?" Soren asked

"Um. I've got a bruise from when Nyra hit me in the head. Sir." Griff said nervously, "My mother said I should have it checked out. Um sir."

Soren looked down at the youngster amused, "You don't have to call me 'sir' Griff, I'm not the king of the tree. But that respect you have, will be much desired by many when you grow up."

"Oh, sorry, Soren."

"It's fine." Soren paused, "By the way. thank you for befriending Eglantine so quickly, after I left, I assumed she would have been a bit lonely, so to have a friend her age will do her some good."

"Thank you Soren, it's nice to have a friend again. I was also lonely at my old home. That's why I want to be Eglantine's friend, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all; a friend of Eglantine's is a friend of mine. Especially if they would jump in front of the leader of the Pure One's to protect her. Thank you."

"Um, your welcome?"

Soren chuckled, "Ok. Let's get that bruise of yours looked at."

Soren led the little owl further into the infirmary. _He is going to be a mighty warrior, and an even greater guardian._ Soren thought fondly of Griff. He was kind and loyal, but also protective and fierce when it came down to doing what was right, and for that, he was thankful more than ever that such birds lived in this world.

"Do you, Soren, The Flame Thrower, Slayer of Metal Beak, and Guardian of the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole, swear, that by taking up the position of council member, and receiving the title of Leader in Combat and Battle Training, you will protect those who cannot protect themselves, and aid in the rise of future guardians?" King Boron sat in the middle of the great hall, his mate at his side, both wearing their golden helmets. Soren stood in front of them, in the exact spot he had stood the night he had received his position as a Guardian. His helmet, which now bore two more golden plates than usual, sat in front of him. Soren had cleaned the poultice off his face. The wound had healed remarkably well in the time since the battle. But it had left a scar, and a big one at that. But never the less, the Tito Alba stood proudly, facing his king and queen.

"I swear." Soren responded. He could feel the eyes of many, including his family, watching him. Ezylryb was sitting with the guardians behind him who were all wearing their own helmets, but he could feel his pride radiating off him from here.

"Well then, by the power of the High Council, I now make it known, that from now on, you Soren, will be known as a Leader of the Tree of Ga'Hoole. Congratulations." The hall erupted into cheers at the Kings words. As was the custom, Soren slipped on his helmet, and flew up to land on the perch designated for the Leader of Combat and Battle Training. The crowd cheered even louder, but Soren noticed Kludd and Eglantine cheering the loudest.

King Boron raised his wings to silence the owls before him. "There is one more ceremony I must perform before the morning comes." Hoots and whistles of curiosity rang across the crowd of owls.

"Kludd, son of Noctus and Marella; Eglantine, daughter of Noctus and Marella; Griff, son of Isani; Lana, daughter of Sisteno; and Jaguar, son of Sisteno. Come forward."

The owls who's names had just been called forward looked at each other in surprise. Eglantine especially, was shocked and curious at the same time.

Soren watched from his new perch, as the young owls stepped up to the King and Queen, and their council. Once they were all lined up and ready, Boron spoke again, his voice ringing through the hall with great power and might.

"You are all young owls, with strong gizzards and the hearts to do what is right. After your arrival, you caught the eyes of many, including those of my mate and I. The council has agreed, that the five of you, will train to be Guardians. Effective immediately."

The owls looked at each other with shock and delight. Eglantine turned to Griff beside her and hugged him. Soren chuckled and when his sister withdrew, Griff seemed to be blushing, even though owls couldn't blush. But Boron went on.

"You will train hard and well. You will be mentored by each member of the council, and when you are truly ready and the time is right, you will be named as Guardians of the Tree. Now, go forth, celebrate with your loved ones. Training starts at dusk."

And with that, the hall erupted into cheers, for both Soren, and the newly named trainees. Soren descended from his perch to be congratulated by a number of owls. His parents came forth first, followed by his friends and Otulissa who hugged him so hard he almost couldn't breathe. Kludd and Eglantine were also being smothered by hugs and congratulations. Eglantine seemed over the moon, Kludd less so, but still he was happy. A funny look passed over his face when he saw Soren and Otulissa, but Soren dismissed it quickly and rushed up to give his siblings a hug.

"I am so proud of you all!" Soren said as he held his sibling tight. Eglantine welcomed the warm embrace, but being himself, Kludd squirmed out of the larger owl's wings.

"I'm just surprised that I'm learning with a bunch of, well, children." Kludd exclaimed. Soren's smile faded slightly, he looked over at Otulissa. _I told you so._ He said to her in his head. She seemed to understand because she walked up to Soren's brother.

"It's alright Kludd, the fact that you're going to train with younger owls doesn't mean that anyone will think you have less potential." She said smiling.

Kludd looked slightly embarrassed, "No, no, it's not that I'm not grateful or anything, it's just that…"

"You always imagined doing things like this with Soren, or at least someone closer to your age." Otulissa interrupted politely, "It's alright. Before I became a guardian, I had to train with a bunch of younger owls myself. But I still became a guardian. Nothing changed."

Kludd seemed somewhat comforted by that, and smiled. Seeing everything was as it should be, Eglantine pushed herself into the group, "Ok! Now that we've sorted that out, let's celebrate. It's not every day that I become a guardian!"

"Guardian trainee." Everyone said at once.

"Guardian, guardian trainee. What's the difference?" Eglantine smiled cheekily, and everyone laughed as they headed out of the great hall and into the morning air.


	6. Chapter 6

After hours of celebration and music and food, Kludd was finally back in his nest. He felt ready to sleep for two days. But his mind was whirling from the events of this night. _Guardian Trainee's. Effective immediately. The fact that you're going to train with younger owls doesn't mean that anyone will think you have less potential._ Kludd replayed each word over and over again in his head. His thoughts were restless that when he was in his nest, he could not sleep. Eglantine jumped beside him, snuggling closer than Kludd would have liked. He was never a very personal owl, but tonight he just let his little sister rest against him.

"Good night." Eglantine whispered.

"Good night." The words were out of Kludd's mouth before he could comprehend them. Yet somehow these words brought forth the sleep that Kludd had longed for moments ago. He put his head down, and closed his eye, and sleep came willingly and peacefully.

"Kludd! Kludd! Wake up!" Kludd was jerked awake. Eglantine was nudging him harder than she had to.

"What is it Eglantine? It's still light out." Kludd groaned.

"No it's not light out, it's dusk. And do you remember what's happening at dusk?"

"No. Why?" Kludd yawned.

"Guardian training, you mouse brain!" Eglantine practically pulled her brother out of the nest in an effort to get him on his feet. But after a moment there was no need to.

"Oh, yeah. Guardian training. When are we supposed to be there?" Kludd asked as he stepped out of the nest, shaking his feathers to get rid of any twigs that still clung there.

"At dusk. Which is now!" Eglantine turned and made her way to the entrance of the hollow. "Come on! We have to go! Bye Ma, Bye Da!" Eglantine launched into the sky and veered off out of sight.

"Ok, ok. I'm coming." Kludd said to no one in particular. "Bye Ma, Bye Da!"

Kludd's parents grunted in response as he stepped to the edge and pushed off, following Eglantine. Griff was now flying beside the creamy female owl. They were chattering excitedly as they flew past the hollows of other owls, towards the training grounds. The training grounds were at the base of the tree. Here they were able to practise tracking, hunting, fighting and other necessary skills to become a guardian. They were just passing over the great hall when Lana and Jaguar caught up to them.

"Nice to know you two could make it." Kludd looked back at the two elf owl siblings. They looked back at him with annoyed and grumpy expressions on their faces. "What? It was just a joke."

Their expressions softened a little. "We know. But we're not used to being awake at the crack of dusk." Lana said.

"But, we're still excited. Who do you think we'll have as a teacher today?" Jaguar said curiously. Kludd could see why they called him Jaguar. The elf owl was mostly brown in colour like any other elf owl, but his back and wings were spotted everywhere with black feathers, making a pattern that looked like a jaguar.

"Don't know. I guess we're about to find out." Kludd said as he dived and dropped down the face of the trunk towards the training grounds. When he was close enough to the ground, he spread his wings and spiralled down to land next to Eglantine.

"Thank you Kludd for that demonstration." A voice sounded in front of him. Kludd looked up to look into the eyes of Queen Barran. Behind her stood all the members of the council, including Soren who was smiling proudly at his brother.

"But you can leave the flying demonstrations for my class." Barran went on. The two elf owls landed silently next to Kludd. They shuffled confusedly until the Queen went on.

"Your Guardian training will be broken up into chore studies. Each class will be led by a council member. At the end of your training, you will be chosen by a leader to join your chore."

"What are the chores?" Griff's voice sounded on the other side of Eglantine.

"Colliering, weather interpretation, scouting, gahoology, blacksmith, healing, search and rescue, navigation, and battle." The queen looked over the trainee's, "but there will be additional studies included to help you with each chore. For example, flying lessons, tracking lessons and so on."

The trainee's shuffled with anticipation. Seeing this, the queen smiled. "Now that your introduction is complete, you will begin with your first lesson. Let's begin with something simple. Battle training."

The trainee's stood at the edge of the training ground. Soren stood in front of them, looking them over. He hadn't expected Barran to choose him to lead the first lesson, but he welcomed the challenge with open wings.

"Ok. Let's see what your made of." Soren turned his head to look at the elf owl at the end of the line. "Jaguar. Come at me. Try and knock me to the floor."

Jaguar looked at Soren unsure what to do, until his sister pushed him forward. Finally, he turned to Soren and ran forward. At the last moment, Soren jumped up into the air, and came back down again, trapping the elf owl below his talons.

The little owl squirmed and struggled until Soren let him up. Jaguar jumped back and looked up at him.

"That was good for a first try. You didn't give up, even when you were clearly trapped, which is good in a young owl" Soren advised, "just don't forget that we are owls. There is always the chance your opponent can go up. Try again."

This time Jaguar stood silently, looking Soren up and down, judging his opponent before acting. After a few moments, Jaguar jumped up into the sky and flew up, before diving back down. Instead of waiting in the defence position, Soren also jumped into the sky and flew directly towards the elf owl. At the last moment, he ducked to the side whilst grabbing Jaguars legs and throwing him back up. As Jaguar began to descend, Soren caught him in mid-air and dropped to pin him to the ground. He let the small owl struggle for a second before letting him up. "That was good Jaguar. It was a nice idea to come at me from above. You were blocking that escape route, which was good, but since I am much bigger than you, I could use my size and strength to attack you and make you defend. Think about that for next time. Return to the line and have a rest."

As Jaguar returned to his spot at the end of the line, he noticed that the other owls were looking at him in awe. _It still makes me feel weird when owls look at me like that._

"Alright, Lana. You're up." Soren said.

The group trained for much of the afternoon and into the night. Soren was watching the trainee's work on some basic moves with each other. The two elf owls were facing each other fiercely, whilst Kludd and Griff battled it out while Eglantine watched.

Soren noticed much potential in Griff. He had been the only trainee that had been able to knock Soren to the ground. There had been much congratulations from the others, but Kludd had been a bit dismissive of his classmate's achievement. Soren dismissed the thought from his mind, and returned back to his task at hand.

The guardian paced through the group, correcting any errors in the trainee's technique. When he came round to Griff's group, he stopped watching his brother defend himself against his opponent. After a while of observing, he stepped forward.

"That's good, very good. Eglantine step in, Griff step out." Soren instructed.

As Eglantine stepped forward, Griff came over and stood next to Soren. As the Kludd and Eglantine fought, Griff turned slightly to stare up at Soren for a few seconds before turning back to his classmates. After a few moments, Soren sighed.

"What is it Griff?" Soren asked.

"Pardon?"

"What did you want to ask me."

Griff looked a bit weary, but yet he turned again and asked his question, "How many owls are you allowed to choose?"

"Hm? Oh. Only one. Why?"

"Um, because I was wondering who you were going to choose."

Soren was slightly taken aback by the remark, but he gathered himself quickly and turned to the smaller owl. "Look, Griff. You have a lot of potential in battle, more than I can say for others. But owls train for years to be Guardians, and in that time, some owls may improve and some might feel better about another chore." He looked down at Griff, "All I can say is that, if you really want to be appointed into this chore, then work hard, prove yourself to me, and then when you are ready, then I'll decide. But only then. Ok?"

"Yes sir." Griff said but when he saw the look on Soren's face he quickly amended his words, "Yes Soren."

Soren smiled and went back to watching the training session. After Eglantine and Kludd had practised for long enough, Soren finally stopped them.

"That's good, Eg. Kludd, you need to work on defending your back. But apart from that, you both did really well." Soren called over the elf owls, and the class stood back in their line.

"Go have something to eat. I think you all deserve it." Soren said, "You have another lesson before morning comes, so come back here afterwards. You are dismissed."

The trainee's separated into groups as they flew up, Soren was about to turn to fly away himself when Kludd appeared at his side.

"Oh, hey Kludd. what can I help you with?" Soren was actually glad to have some time to talk to his brother. He wasn't in any hurry anyway.

"Hey Soren. I just wanted to ask what Griff wanted? You know, whilst Eg and I were training?" he said.

"Ah yes. He was just asking about whether or not I was considering him as worthy of a position in the battle chore." Soren replied.

"Oh. What do you think?"

"Well, I think that he has a lot of potential, but if he really wants the spot, then he needs to prove himself not only to me, but to the council as well."

"What do you mean by 'the spot'?" Kludd asked curiously, as always.

"Oh. There is only one spot available in each chore for any trainee." Soren said awkwardly, "That's why I said he had to wait. I can't choose now. Especially when the decision is so important."

"Soren." Kludd stopped and looked his brother in the eyes, "Do you honestly think I've got what it takes to be in the battle chore?"

There was a pause. Soren thought for a few moments, "More than you think." The guardian smiled at his brother, and nudged him lightly, "Now go get something to eat. I heard they're teaching Colliering next."

Kludd jumped away, before his brother could nudge him again, laughing. Soren laughed with him until the older tito turned away and flew up into the branches of the tree.


End file.
